Daocheng Yading Hiking Planning

Included here is one of the most detailed hiking information for people who are planning to hiking Yading of Daocheng.

Any visitor that goes to Yading, will encounter walking. It is inevitable that you have to do some walking while visit Yading. Please be aware walking here in Yading Park is not like walking in the city or hiking at places with lower altitude. Yading Park is a tourist park indeed but it is not for everyone due to its high altitude. Hiking in Yading is hard.

If you had former experiences hiking at "similar" places in China such as Tiger Leaping Gorge or Jiuzhaigou; Yading is harder than these place. Or if you had former experiences hiking Yuben of Meili Snow Mountain, or Mt Everest Base Camp, Yading feels harder than these places. This is no exagerating as not only the altitude of Yading is high but also the altitude change of Yading hiking is big. Visitor planning to do Yading hiking, please do not underestimate this place for your safety.

Choices of Hiking Route

The "Normal Way" of Vsiting

The following way of visiting is what most people do while visiting Yading. It is still a hiking trip as Milk Lake and 5-color Lake, and Pearl Lake can only be reached by foot.

For visitors who don't like walking, the least walking necessary needs to be done is from Luorong Yak Ranch to Milk Lake and Five-color Lake and back to Luorong Yak Ranch. Although for this part the first 2km on the flat terrain can be replaced by a horse ride but the horse are not always available. This part is 5km single way from 4100m to 4500m and back. The other part that's inevitable walking is from Chonggu to Pearl Lake and back to Chonggu. This part is around 3km total up and down between 3800m to 4100m.

Active Hiking

For active hikers. You can consider a Small Kora Trek in 1 day or in 3 days with camping. For camping hikers, please read details here. For hardcore hikers, you can consider the 9 to 10-day Middle Kora Trek.

A Small Kora Trek in Yading is about 26km starts from Chonggu Temple and ends at Chonggu Temple covering Lurong Yak Ranch, Milk Lake and Pearl Lake.

A Middle Kora Trek in Yading is 5-day camping trek entering from Muli and coming out from Yading, covering south face of Chenadorje, Jampayang and Snake Lake, Milk Lake, 5-color Lake.

Duration

To do a Yading hiking trip, you are recommended to have a minimum of 3 days if you choose to fly. Below is the "normal" Yading visit plan:

Day 01 Fly to Daocheng and drive to Yading, en route acclimate yourself.

Day 02 Hike Milk Lake/5-color Lake, Luorong Yak Ranch, overnight either in Yading Village or in Riwa

Day 03 Hike Pearl Lake and go back to Riwa and drive to Daocheng, prepare to fly out tommorow

Or if you are an active hiker, try the Small Kora in one day, use golf car at Chonggu to save the first 7km. and you make distance quick, you can return to Daocheng on Day 02 and fly out on Day03. But be aware that the 3-day plan already has the risk of altitude sickness and this shorter plan can be more risky.

If you are thinking to have one more day for acclimating before going to Yading Park, there are 2 places you can do this, one place is at Bowa Mountain Road Pass after Daocheng County, the other place is Echushan 25km west to Riwa. You can drive to these two places to walk to the ridgeline that are over 4000 meters. Reccommended to walk/stay up there for a minimum of 2 hours. This will help a lot for acclimating yourself.

To drive in to Yading instead of flying seems long but it is much better to acclimate yourself to this altitude. To drive in to Yading, you need to add on a minimum of 3 more days prior to the above plans.

One can do independent hiking in Yading there is no ristrictions on foreign visitors in Yading.